HANDS off our hospital – that’s the clear message from scores of Taff Ely residents who responded to a survey about the potential downgrading of services at the Royal Glamorgan.

Cwm Taf Health Board joined South Wales’ four other health boards in publishing the findings of a 12-week public engagement process, which gave would-be patients a chance to have their say on plans to reorganise the delivery of four specialist services.

The South Wales Programme – which was set up jointly by the five boards – wants consultant-led obstetrics, paediatric in-patients, high-dependency neonatal care and consultant-led accident and emergency units centralised at fewer hospital sites.

If the move goes ahead, the services will be delivered from four sites – or, at most, five.

While three of the sites look to be set in stone, the location of the fourth and potentially fifth site remains unclear – but would be chosen from The Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and The Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

And while the results showed the majority of the respondents in the Cwm Taf Health Board area agreed with the reforms in principle, the overwhelming message from those in the Taff Ely and Rhondda areas appeared to be that Royal Glamorgan MUST be one of the chosen specialised sites for the reorganisation to work.